Kyrie Irving, Mavs Reportedly Agree to New 3-Year, $119M Contract After Luka Trade
Having traded away one star guard, the Dallas Mavericks weren't going to lose another.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Tuesday that Kyrie Irving has declined his $43 million player option and plans to sign a three-year, $119 million deal with Dallas.
"Mavericks officials and Irving's agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, negotiated the new deal that keeps Irving out of free agency and in Dallas long term," Charania wrote. "The new deal includes a player option in the 2027-28 season, sources said."
He added: "Throughout the conversations surrounding his player option and a new extension, both sides made clear their commitment to each other, and the Mavericks placed a premium on Irving's leadership and ability to team with All-Star Anthony Davis and soon-to-be No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg under the leadership of coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison."
Rival executives believe Irving was in line for a contract worth $50 million to $60 million annually prior to tearing his ACL, according to Charania.
Irving seemingly confirmed the deal on social media:
Among the many reactions stemming from Luka Dončić's shocking trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was that the Mavs pretty much forfeited any leverage they had with Irving.
Swapping Dončić for Anthony Davis put the Mavericks on a shorter timeline in terms of championship contention. The optics of watching another multi-time All-Star exit would've been terrible as well, even with the pending arrival of Duke's Cooper Flagg generating so much excitement and undoing some of the damage from the Luka trade.
General manager Nico Harrison had little choice but to re-sign Irving at a sizable cost.
The 32-year-old warranted that kind of commitment through his performance on the court. This past season, he averaged 24.7 points and 4.6 assists while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor, including 40.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Irving's best performance came in a losing effort to the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 10. He shot 17-of-22 from the floor for 43 points, adding five rebounds and five assists.
Prior to the 2024-25 campaign, the 2024 playoffs provided Harrison with proof of concept about trying to build a championship-caliber roster with Irving in a leading role. Across that run to the NBA Finals, the 6'2" playmaker put up 22.1 points and 5.1 assists per contest.
"Kai's been a great leader throughout the whole time I’ve been here," forward P.J. Washington said to The Athletic's Sam Amick last June. "We know that he's been here before. All of this isn't new to him, and it's new for all of us. So he guides us through everything we need help with. He's that voice for us. He's a fun guy to be around, a fun guy to play with, and he makes the game easier for all of us."
There are valid reasons to question Harrison's vision.
The Mavs soured on Dončić in part because of his reported conditioning habits and how those might impact his durability moving forward. They traded him for a star with an even worse injury record who promptly suffered an adductor strain that sidelined him for weeks.
Then came Irving's torn ACL in March, which is almost certainly going to keep him out for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
But this is the path Harrison chose and it's too late to deviate. Keeping Irving in Dallas had to be the front office's top priority this summer.
